Now let’s continue on here in Isaiah 2 and let’s just finish up verse 5: “O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD” (Isa. 2:2-5, KJV). Now in order for that to happen God is going to have to do something first. God is going to have to intervene.

Let’s come to Ezekiel 36 and see what He’s going to do. In order for them to walk in God’s way there has to be a change of heart. There has to be, as we covered last time and we’ll emphasize it again this time, a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, which is not the same as the covenant that we have. Because the covenant that we have is the covenant of the firstfruits.

Now let’s come to Ezekiel 36:24. God is going to gather all of Israel: “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.” That’s our first job. We’re going to help in the exodus bringing them back to Israel. “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean [now this is symbolic of getting rid of their sins]: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.”

Now verse 26 is the key. This shows repentance, baptism, change of heart: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you…” It’s very profound you see. It’s not “within” a person until he or she has repented and had hands laid on them, baptized – put the spirit within you. “…And cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.” See, that is called in the New Testament “circumcision of the heart” – that you desire to do God’s will, that you desire to walk in His way. And isn’t that what we read back there in Isaiah 2:5? “Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” But there has to be that change and conversion first.

Now verse 28: “And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.” Now just think of it this way: you remember the account of the prodigal son, and how in famine and distress he came to himself and repented. Well, this is like the whole prodigal nation of the twelve tribes of Israel coming to repentance and coming back.

Now here’s what’s going to happen, verse 31. Just like the prodigal son, remember what he said? He said, “Oh, I’m going to go to my father and say, ‘Father I’ve sinned against heaven and against you and I’m no more worthy to be called your son.’ ” But what did he do? He ran out, brought him in, cleaned him up, put the best robe on him, dressed him, put shoes on his feet. Well this is what God is going to do to Israel. But you see here it shows their repentance: “Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.” And that is a model of repentance for us too, you see.

Now for them, they’re going to be able to know that God is dealing direct with them because they’re going to be able to see us, they’re going to know that Christ is ruling from Jerusalem. So it’s going to be a different set of circumstances. But still there has to be repentance regardless of the circumstances.

Now verse 32 he gives a reason: “Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.” Now you talk about a building program, you talk about waste. Now just look at all the damage that happened because of the tsunami down in Southeast Asia. They still haven’t recovered from it in spite of all the aid, in spite of all the workers, in spite of everything that has been done. Well now, think of the worst desolations that are ever going to be in the history of the world and realize what a great reclamation and rebuilding project this is, because we start with waste, we start with destruction. You’ve got to get rid of the rubble.

You know, if you’ve seen of the History Channel’s WW II documentaries in showing how that Germany… Now if you’ve ever seen this film where they recorded the devastated cities in Germany, where they’re all bombed out. Mile after mile after mile of bombed buildings, destroyed buildings, rubble. And it was so devastating and it was so absolutely incredible and on top of it because millions of German men were killed in the war, who was left? Well it shows lines of women standing on top of these big rubble heaps getting rid of the rubble bucket by bucket by bucket. They would put the rubble in a bucket, pass it down to another woman, she’d pass it down to another woman. They had another line of women passing up the empty buckets, and that’s how they got rid of the rubble. Quite a thing. This is what we’re going to look at. Well the change that’s going to take place and how we’re going to rebuild it and make it fantastic – now that’s going to take some time.

Now notice verse 34: “And the desolate land shall be tilled…” The very first thing they’re going to do is clear off the land because they’re going to have to plant some plants. They’re going to have to grow some crops. There’s going to have to be food for people to eat. Of course the first thing that God is going to do is purify some of the water so there’s water for people to drink. Because the first thing they’re going to need is clean water to drink. Then they’re going to need food to eat. And then they’re going to be able to prepare to begin planting. “…Whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by. And they shall say, This land that was desolate is [shall] become like the garden of Eden…” That’s the restoration of all things for the whole world – like the Garden of Eden. “…And the waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced, and are inhabited.” So this is quite a thing. God is first going to set up the twelve tribes of Israel as the model for rebuilding, for agriculture, for economy, for healing, for repentance, and then the nations are going to come.

Verse 36: “Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD build the ruined places, and plant that that was desolate: I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it.” So what are we going to do? We are going to carry out exactly what God wants us to do. Do you think that Christ is going to come back to this earth with the saints and not have a plan? Do you think that God is not going to enlist all of... Now there are going to be some of us in the resurrection who our job is going to be to draw up plans for the cities: how to build them, how to do them. You know even though we will be in the category of kings and priests and teachers, that’s true, but also they’re going to be a lot of us helping out in helping design the plan. We are going to initially bring them the plans on how to rebuild. You think about that. That’s something because it says, “I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it.” And that means it’s all under His authority. You see, God is going to bring the plan with Him. This is just not going to be a piecemeal, haphazard thing. It’s going to be well laid out.

Verse 37: “Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock. As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem [now notice] in her solemn feasts…” Very interesting, isn’t it? Yes. Just as we understand what God is doing now because of the feast days, and it gives us an outline, though we look through a glass darkly. Likewise then for the children of Israel the solemn feasts of God are going to lay out for the people what God is doing. And think of it, every Sabbath like it says there in Isaiah 66 that from Sabbath to Sabbath and new moon to new moon, that means month in and month out and year in and year out, and the feasts of God, they’re all going to come and worship before God. So at this time God is going to add more meaning to the feast days. So when they come together in the solemn feasts they are not only going to worship God and understand His way, they are also going to reveal what God is going to do down through the Millennium and it’s going to be known that at the end of the Millennium certain things are going to happen. They are going to know. See, it’s not going to be like today. And we are going to teach them.

And it says here: “in her solemn feasts.” And of course we know all the nations of the world are going to keep them (Zechariah 14) don’t we? Yes. “…So shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men: and they shall know that I am the LORD” (Ezek. 36:24-38, KJV). Now that’s going to be quite a time, isn’t it?

Now over and over and over again, look, here’s the thing that’s important to understand: The truth of God always is perfect. And when we put the truth of God together the way God wants us to put it together everything fits and everything is in place. Now, when it says, “They shall know that I am the LORD”, does that not tie in with what we understand in I John 2, “He that says he knows Him and keeps not His commandments is a liar; and hereby we know that we know Him because we keep His commandments”; and hereby we know the Lord because we keep His Sabbaths; and hereby we know that we’re sanctified by the Lord because of His feasts and of His Sabbaths? Yes indeed. So you know, just like we started out this is revealed knowledge that we know. This is precious, this is fantastic, this is marvelous, because not only do we know when God is going to do it approximately, but we also know how God is going to do it.

Now since we’re here in Ezekiel let’s come back here to Jeremiah 32 and let’s see some more of what God is going to do and let’s see how He’s going to do it. Let’s pick it up here in verse 36: “And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city [that is Jerusalem and how He’s going to bring it back], whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence…” And you can apply this to the world now because Babylon the Great is in the world, you see.

Verse 37: “…Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in Mine anger, and in My fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely…” You think about a time, you see, how there is going to be no crime, no sexual predators, no murderers, nor kidnapping, nor gross lying and cheating and stealing. There is going to be no Sunday-worship, there’s going to be no idolatry. All that’s going to go by the way, you see. “…And they shall be My people, and I will be their God…” And again, notice what this is here.

“…And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear Me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them…” Now that’s something. See, the carnal hostile mind always is enmity to God and thinks that God, whatever He says that He wants a person to do, somehow is against them. Classic example: the Sabbath. Classic example: keeping the commandments of God.

I’ve got a book here I’m going to have to give some sermons on, which will be after the Feast, and it is by Louis Barry Chafer written in 1922, which is the basic handbook for the lawless grace of the Southern Baptists, Grace: An Exposition of God’s Marvelous Gifts. And in reading just some of it, it is evident that there is a split mind in the Protestants. They are schizophrenic spiritually. And why? Because they don’t have the Spirit of God and they don’t understand the grace of God. And just like it says here that God is going to take away their stony hearts, God is going to open their minds. They’re not in covenant with God. They don’t understand God’s way. They don’t understand God’s plan. But they want to have mercy and forgiveness from God so they can continue on their own way. No, they have to be converted and changed. God is going to have to change the heart. That’s what He’s saying here.

“…And I will make an everlasting covenant with them…” That’s that new covenant that God is going to establish with them and we are going to be part of that covenant just like we are part of the covenant with Christ for us today. Then the covenant that Israel will have, and the other nations of the world will have, will involve us as the sons and daughters of God, the ones who are going to rule and reign in the world and carry out the government of the Kingdom of God. We will be included in that new covenant with them. Now think about it. It’s going to have to include us. They’re going to have to obey what we teach them, right? See, this is why God now wants us to really know Him and love Him and keep His commandments so when it comes time for us to be teaching we will teach the truth of God – not our ways, not our thoughts, not our opinions, you see. And we’ll be included in this new covenant. An everlasting covenant. That means it’s going to be a covenant to eternal life: “…with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear [and also love] in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me.” So the conversions stirring during the Millennium are going to be fantastic. But the whole set of circumstances and the covenant is going to be different than what we have today. So that’s going to be a marvelous thing indeed for us to understand.

Now verse 41: “Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good…” Isn’t that something? We’re going to be part of that. We’re going to rejoice over them and do them good and they’re going to respond. “…And I will plant them in this land assuredly with My whole heart and with My whole soul.” That’s what God is going to do. “For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people [look out and see all the things that have happened in desolation, and evil, and death, and destruction], so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.” That’s a marvelous thing. That’s why in the New Testament we have it this way: All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Likewise here – everything is going to work for their good because God is going to bring them repentance; God is going to bring them conversion; God is going to give them a new heart by the circumcision of the heart; and just as they had heaped upon them all the evil and desolations God is going to heap upon them all of the good and all of the fantastic things. And we’ll see tomorrow how great that is going to be.

Verse 43: “And fields shall be bought in this land…”, because God believes in ownership. So just like He gave dominion of the whole earth to Adam and Eve, God is going to give us, as the spiritual sons and gods under Christ, the dominion of the earth. And then the human beings under us, they’re going to buy, they’re going to sell, they are going to own just like we saw of the man sitting under his own fig tree and under his vine because that’s a time of peace and prosperity that comes from God, and it shows that there is ownership. George Bush is not going to bring in an ownership society. We can be thankful for that. Christ is.

“…Whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans [or into the hands of the Beast previously before]. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses…” And then it lists all in Benjamin, Jerusalem, Judah, the cities, the mountains, the valleys, and the cities in the south. “…For I will cause their captivity to return…” (Jer. 32:36-44, KJV), which means this: that He’s going to bring them out of captivity. So that’s quite a thing you know, the projects that God has for us.

Now I love it whenever President Bush says that he believes that he’s been called to solve BIG problems like the Social Security and so forth. Hey, no. Now he may do some good, but trust me we have been called to greater problems to be solved and with the Spirit of God and the power of Christ and the plans of God they will be solved. And furthermore we are not going to develop the inept bureaucracies that we have today in government, and we have in big business that are so saddled with policies and procedures that they can’t get anything done. And they are so disjointed in the Babylonian approach that the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. We want to fight terrorism but open the borders. Nonsense. And then you have people in office that you can’t change the laws and you can’t bring about any good. Hey, they’re out. They’re gone, see because Christ is going to have us as the rulers and the kings and priests and the mayors and the planners and all that sort of thing who agree with God and who are going to carry out God’s plan and God’s works, and God’s way for the benefit of all people. So this going to be absolutely marvelous. It’s going to be something.

Now let’s come over here to Jeremiah 33:6. Here’s how we’re going to do it. You know, I just imagine one of the first things.. Let’s read this verse here first: “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” See, that has to be revealed from God. Now, I wonder (so we’ll put this big question mark, ok?) – you hear of children with missing limbs – we heal them and restore them. I imagine we’re going to because it says He’s going to bring health and cure. Now what does that mean? Well that means we take what we saw with the ministry of Jesus Christ and we multiply it millions of times over around the world, and to show and demonstrate the power and mercy and forgiveness and healing of God. It’s going to give them health. He’s going to give them cure. And I think since it’s the restoration of all things, why not restore missing limbs. What a fantastic witness to the power of God. We are certainly going to heal the broken-hearted because nearly everyone is going to have a broken heart. And you think that the soldiers coming back from Iraq, and a lot of them having lived through these roadside bombs and things like this, they remember the explosions. They remember the things that take place.

Now just as an aside – they now know, as I brought sermons years ago, how that our heart has a storage of memory that connects with our minds. And that’s why God talks about the heart and the mind. Well, I was reading in this one report which showed how that those who have heart transplants, the memory the person had that died and the new heart put in the person receiving the heart, it changes their personality and it changes their memory and it changes their taste to conform to a mixture of what they had before the heart transplant and the memories of the heart of the individual who died. And this one man received the heart of a policeman who was killed in a gunfight. And after he received the heart he began having dreams of flashes of explosions right before his eyes, which was the gun going off that killed the policeman who’s heart he now carries in his bosom. Now what does this tells us? This tells us that whenever we as human beings suffer great trauma it’s burned into our memories. Now the health and care that we’re going to have here, it’s going to help cure a lot of that. You think about surviving the greatest earthquakes that the world has ever seen. You think about surviving the greatest wars that the world has ever seen. You think about those people who have gone through famine and sword and deprivation. You think about the hollow and gaunt look that’s going to be on their faces – bewildered, and we are going to bring them health and cure. Now that’s a fantastic thing. You think about that.

Now let’s go on, verse 7: “And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return [that means coming out of captivity to return to where they were], and will build them, as at the first.” So this is God’s plan. He’s got it all mapped out. “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against Me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against Me.” Great time – fantastic time, and we are going to bring this about. Notice the result of what this is going to be: “And it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth…” See, so God is going to first reestablish Israel and do the healings, and do the cure, and do the conversion, and do the building of the land. And the nations are going to come and look and they are going to come and see, and they are going to come and say, “Hey, this is what we want.” And we’ll be able to tell them, “Yes, this is what God wants to give you, and here is how you do it.”

“And it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it. Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast…” Now that’s what they were saying when Jerusalem was carried off into captivity into Babylon originally; then a prophecy of what happened when they went off into captivity in 70 AD. So then God says here in verse 11 in place of all of these things that were without man, without inhabitant, and without beast: “…The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts…” Just imagine what that is like. And imagine this in great congregational hymns to God in our worship services that we will help conduct for all the people. And you talk about inspiring, and you talk about uplifting, and you talk about tears of joy. This is going to be absolutely a marvelous thing. See, what we need to understand is, brethren, God has called us to the greatest work which is yet to be done. And that is after the resurrection when Christ returns.

“…For the LORD is good; for His mercy endureth for ever…” Don’t we have a whole Psalm, Psalm 132, every verse says the Lord is good for His mercy endures forever, His mercy endures forever. And they are going to understand that. “...And of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD.” That is the restoration of all things. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is desolate [and boy the world is going to be a desolation, isn’t it? Yes.] without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof, shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down. In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth [counts] them, saith the LORD. Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah” (Jer. 33:6-14, KJV).

God is going to do it. That is a fantastic thing. And God has given us a part in this. That’s what’s so great. That’s what’s so marvelous. That’s what the Feast of Tabernacles is all about, so that every year we come before God and we have rehearsed in our ears the plan, the purpose, the calling, the reason why we’re here, the reason that we keep the Sabbath, the reason that we keep the holy days. The reason that we fight against the world and overcome sin is so that we can be a part of this, that we can help God do this, that we can literally be the instrumentations to carry out the will of God and bring it to the people of the world. That’s the restoration of all things.

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Feast of Tabernacles – Day 3 – 2005

Scriptural References

1. Isaiah 41:21-29

2. I Corinthians 2:1-14

3. Matthew 13:16-17

4. Isaiah 24:16-23

5. Isaiah 48:16-19

6. Isaiah 48:1-12

7. Isaiah 46:3-10

8. Isaiah 2:2-5

9. Ezekiel 36:24-38

10. Jeremiah 32:36-44

11. Jeremiah 33:6-14